Fenix released an incredible LED flashlight – the LR35R 10,000-lumen flashlight. I’m excited to review this flashlight today and take a look at all its features. So, let’s get started and dive deep into this Fenix LR35R review to find out more.
Summary of Contents
Ultra Bright LED Flashlight
Did you read the 10,000 lumens above? That number is correct. I had to read it a few times to confirm it and ensure it wasn’t 1000 lumens. But there it is, a 10,000-lumen output. Saying I’m impressed is an understatement. especially given the compact size of the flashlight itself. It’s about five and a half inches in length with a 2-inch head diameter. So, it’s impressively small.
While it’s too thick to be considered an everyday carry flashlight, taking the LR35R with you wouldn’t be too difficult. Just strap it into its holster and you’re good to go. Given how bright the output is, I’m surprised by the compact form factor of this light.
The beam pattern on it is very wide. And with that much lumen power, it is going to light up in front of you like crazy. Fenix claims that the LR35R has a 90-degree beam angle which falls into the flood category. The beam is evenly distributed and is great for general illumination.
21700 Flashlight
The Fenix LR35R flashlight runs on two ARB-L21-4000P rechargeable 4000mAH li-ion batteries. As you may know, I’m a huge fan of 21700 flashlights and this is the first dual 21700 flashlight that I’ve reviewed.
The two 21700 rechargeable batteries are cold-resistant and have a 30A current output. The current output helps to deliver the 10,000 Lumen power. If you use other 21700 batteries that don’t have that output, you’re not going to be seeing 10,000 lumens.
I’m glad that you can use any 21700 batteries in this flashlight and it’ll work. Other 21700 batteries may only reach 8500 lumens or so, but that’s still an insane amount of light. And it’s always a good option to have backup batteries. However, you can also purchase the Fenix batteries that come with the LR35R if you want the same backup batteries.
Build Quality, Knurling, and Anodization
Honestly, upon opening the package I was surprised at how compact this light is. Fenix has mastered the art of designing powerful flashlights that are lightweight and compact. The LR35R comes with a lanyard, a holster, a spare O-ring, and a USB-C charging cable. You don’t get a battery charger, but that is not an issue.
Now, I wouldn’t mark the LR35R as an EDC-sized flashlight. But even if you can’t carry it in a small pocket, you can use the holster.
The in-hand feel is typical Fenix- solid and comfortable. The flat design of the body makes it easy to grip. While there is no knurling on the body, it was never an issue for me. However, there are multiple ridges that run parallel to the body. These help to dissipate the generated heat and prevent the light from rolling away on a flat surface. There is also a large pocket clip that feels robust.
The button on the surface has a concave profile which I liked. This reduces the chances of accidental pressing and switching the light on.
The aluminum body is IP68-rated and impact resistant up to 1 meter. Fenix mentions that the aluminum alloy used is specially heat-treated and is generally used for structural and industrial applications. Moreover, The flashlight can also withstand temperatures as low as -31°F.
The batteries are protected by strong springs that help in absorbing impacts. Besides, the stainless-steel bezel with a matte finish over the lens looks great.
Also, there are no sharp edges to hurt your hands during extended use. The LR35R is nicely balanced and you can even make it stand on its rear end. All in all, I don’t have any issues with the craftsmanship of the Fenix LR35R. Not to forget, it comes with the standard limited lifetime warranty from Fenix.
Next, the quality of the anodized finish is top-notch.
Fenix mentions the premium type HA III hard-anodized anti-abrasive finish has been used here. Now, HA Type III indicates a thicker and harder coating that is more resistant to abrasions. That not only improves the look but also makes the flashlight more resistant to corrosion and wear. In short, it is robust enough to withstand rough handling.
That said, the LR35R lacks a tactical switch for activation at the back like the Fenix PD36R tactical flashlight. Besides, the design does not make it suitable for use as a headlamp.
LED, Lens, and Bezel
Powering the flashlight are six Luminus SST-40 LED lights. The beam color is cold-white with no visible tints. The LR35R comes with six smooth reflectors that merge into each other and an AR-coated lens.
As expected, the coatings ensure better light transmission and an excellent beam distance.
Due to the arrangement of the LEDs, the beam profile is somewhat roundish. It has a distinct hotspot and the overall throw is great for outdoor use.
In terms of output, the Fenix LR35R is not the perfect flooder. But it serves well as a mid-ranger and the spill is good enough to use on dark trails. I also noted the beam profiles on various light modes are well-balanced, which is a big plus.
Operating the Fenix LR35R 10000 Lumen Flashlight
Operating the Fenix LR35R 10000 Lumen Flashlight
This LED flashlight is super easy to operate. It just has a single side switch that’s recessed to prevent accidentally turning it on in your bag or in the holster. You press and hold it for less than a second to turn it on and off. While it’s on, you can click it to cycle through the brightness levels.
It’s going to start at the lowest brightness level and move on from there. You can also hold the side switch down for about a second to access the strobe mode. This light also has a memory mode that will remember the last brightness level you had the flashlight in. This is a feature I really like in most LED flashlights.
Let’s go into the outputs of this light. You have 6 total outputs and that includes a strobe. There is no red light mode. The brightness levels are as follows: turbo offers the maximum output at 10,000 lumens, high at 3000 lumens, medium at 1200 lumens, low at 450 lumens, and eco at 50 lumens. Quite a bit of versatility with all those outputs.
Obviously, the turbo mode will not have a long runtime but it is not too bad either. In fact, it is hard to imagine situations where you will need to use the turbo mode frequently. But even if you take it down to medium mode, the light output is still very strong. The LR35R also has a lockout function and an intelligent memory that recalls the last brightness mode.
The beam distance is a good 1640 feet (500 meters) in turbo mode. At low mode, it drops down to 344 feet which is respectable. While it is not as powerful as some of the mega throwers from Fenix, I like the balance between light output and beam distance in the Fenix LR35R.
Note, like most other Fenix lights, the LR35R has Intelligent overheat protection. Sure, it warms up while running at High mode, but it’s never alarmingly hot. And you have to admit that 3000 lumens generate a lot of heat. Since it gets hotter in the turbo mode, make sure you don’t keep it near flammable objects. The good news is, once you reduce the output, it cools down super quickly.
Rechargeable Flashlight
The LR35R ultra-bright flashlight is USB-C rechargeable! It has an inner waterproofing treatment on the port itself so if you forget to close off the charging port cover, it’s protected from water. This is always good news.
According to Fenix, the LR35R charges fully in three and a half hours which is insane. This is why I recommend USB-type-C rechargeable flashlights. They charge significantly faster than micro-USBs.
This LED flashlight does have a charging indicator located on the side switch. You’ll see red when it’s charging and green when it’s fully charged. The same indicator functions as a battery level indicator. This battery level indicator will light up the first turn on the flashlight for about 3 seconds or so.
If you see a constant green then your batteries have at least 85% of their charge. If it’s flashing green then they have about 50 to 85%, constant red means they have about 25 to 50%, and flashing red means they have less than 25% of their charge.
When you’re using the flashlight and the batteries have less than 25% energy, the indicator will flash red to let you know that it’s time to charge the batteries. That’s the low voltage warning. So, if you’re using your flashlight and you look down and see that flashing red, it’s time to charge your batteries.
I like both the battery capacity indicator and the low voltage warning. Many LED flashlight battery indicators work the same way as the LR35R. The only downside to this is that when you’re using the flashlight, you won’t see the battery status level unless you turn off the flashlight and turn it back on again. That’s where that low voltage warning comes in handy. So good on Fenix for including that.
Final Thoughts on the Fenix LR35R LED Flashlight
That brings us to the end of this Fenix LR35R review. Time to sum it up.
Pros: I have to say that the first pro of this rechargeable LED flashlight is the 10,000-lumen power coupled with how compact it is. This extremely impressive super bright flashlight is compact enough to carry with you if you were to need it.
I love that it runs on 21700 lithium-ion batteries and uses USB-C cable for charging. It’s very impressive that it charges as quickly as it does. That means less time on the charger and more time in use. It’s also great to see a battery level indicator and a low voltage level indicator. I’m a big fan of battery level indicators, but when you add in the low-voltage warning indicator, it just works out so much better.
Cons: This is a nit-picky detail, but it would be nice if you could use other 21700 batteries and still achieve 10,000 lumens. The batteries that the LR35R comes with are not exactly proprietary but are needed in order to get the full output. However, as I said before, 8500 lumens is still a lot of light.
Some customer reviews also pointed out that there are no shortcuts to the low and turbo modes. An ultra-low mode to conserve the batteries will also be a good addition.
Conclusion: I’m extremely impressed with the Fenix LR35R. And I’m still in shock that such a small flashlight can deliver such incredible power. I think that this may be one of Fenix’s most popular products simply because of that alone.
If you want something more powerful you can check out the Fenix LR40R or the Nitecore TM12K. There is also the option of picking something insanely bright as the MS18 flashlight. But those flashlights will cost you more. From that aspect, the Fenix LR35R offers great value.
However, it has more going for it including a lot of great features that we touched on today. If you’re wanting an ultra-powerful light for search and rescue, or a compact searchlight, check out the Fenix LR35R flashlight.